Ely District
Welcome to the website for the Ely District of the Ely Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers.
Bell ringing is a team activity that stimulates the brain and helps keep you fit ... it also makes a glorious sound!
This website is primarily intended to keep local ringers informed of news and district events. We hope other ringers will find the details of towers, practice nights and the district ringing programme useful.
Dates for the district
Here are dates for the District, the Association and the Stretham REC shown in a Google Calendar. A larger calendar, showing these dates and dates for all the Districts and for the Young Ringers, with space for more entries at a time, and with options to view a whole week or month, is available on the Ely DA website here.
For regular updates about District and Association events, join the Ely District mailing list.
Geoff Reed Swaffham Bulbeck
Jo Jones, tower captain at Swaffham Bulbeck, writes:
It is with great sadness that I tell you that Geoff Reed, a ringer at Swaffham Bubeck tower, passed away on Thursday 29th September 2022. All are welcome to attend the funeral service which will be taking place at 2pm on Thursday 3rd November 2022 at:
St Mary’s Church, 98 High St, Swaffham Bulbeck, Cambridge CB25 0LX
There will be ringing before the service to which all are invited to join in with the local ringers.
Please aim to arrive from 1:30pm for the service to begin at 2:00pm. Please do note that there is only on-street parking close to the church (No Church Car park).
There will also be a private family committal directly after the service at Swaffham Bulbeck Village Cemetery. We thank you for your understanding.
Ely DA AGM 2022 on Saturday 21st May, hosted by the Wisbech District
All welcome to the Ely DA AGM on Saturday 21st May. Inter-district 8-bell striking competition at Terrington St Clement. General ringing at Emneth, March and Wisbech. Service at St Peter & St Paul, Wisbech. Tea in the Wisbech Church Hall, followed by AGM.
Nick Elks gives notice of a proposed rule change to be discussed at the AGM.
'I wish to propose at the AGM the following change to the Ely Diocesan Association Rules, in summary, that Association peal fees are either abolished or reduced to £0.
Rule 12 (b) to be changed from:
b) The conductor of the peal shall be responsible for providing the Peal Secretary with the Peal Fee, and the following details: the method(s) rung, the number of changes, the composition, names of ringers, and any other information necessary to check the validity of the peal. All peal fees for the previous year shall be provided by 31st January.
to be changed to:
b) The conductor of the peal shall be responsible for providing the Peal Secretary with the following details: the method(s) rung, the number of changes, the composition, names of ringers, and any other information necessary to check the validity of the peal.
Rule 12 (c) to be changed from:
c) The Association may choose not to accept peals if the details and/or the peal fees are not received in accordance with Rule 12 (a & b). The Association General Committee shall make decisions about acceptance of such peals on advice from the Ringing Sub-committee.
to be changed to:
c) The Association may choose not to accept peals if the details are not received in accordance with Rule 12 (a & b). The Association General Committee shall make decisions about acceptance of such peals on advice from the Ringing Sub-committee.
In association with this proposed change, the Subscription Rates under General Notices would also be changed with reference to Peal booking fees, to either make it £0 or to strike the booking fee out completely.
Also that any other reference that there may be regarding Peal Fees or Peal booking fees be struck out or amended accordingly'
Alan Barber
Sue Marsden writes:
I'm sorry to have to announce the death of Alan M Barber today, 12th July. Alan was a member of the Ely District from the early 1960s until the late 1970s, but always maintained his connection with the Ely District and Association. He was a first class conductor and composer, and was Ely Peal Secretary for a number of years. He moved to the North East a while back. He will be very much missed, and I was honoured to count him as a friend. May he rest in peace.
Ely DA Roadmap to Ringing Recovery
The Ely DA Roadmap to Ringing Recovery has been launched! Available here The roadmap, which has been compiled by the RATS Committee, has information as to what bell-ringers can do and where to find support based on each stage that the Government have provided for coming out of Lockdown.
Ely DA AGM 2021 on Saturday 8th May at 2 pm via Zoom
From JoAnne Rutter, General Secretary Ely DA
The Ely Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers 2021 AGM will be held at 2 pm on Saturday 8th May, via Zoom.
Details on the AGM page of the Ely DA website, here.
Ely DA Annual Report
The Ely DA Annual Report for 2019 (Handbook for 2020) is available as a pdf file to Ringing Members, Junior Members and Honorary Members of the Ely DA. The file is dated 21/05/2020, which corresponds to when the Annual General Meeting would have been held. Please request a file from the District Secretary (elysec_at_elyda.org.uk) or the Report Editor (elyweb_at_elyda.org.uk). Paper copies will be available. We will print one copy for each active tower and copies for individual members by prior request.
Lockdown Bellringing Activities
Dee Smith, as Education Officer for our District and as RATO for the Association, has provided a summary of suggested activities. The current list, dated 23/04/20, is here, and Dee will provide updates as new events arise.
Contents of the summary: Cambridge District Webinars; Drop-in and Help sessions on Saturday mornings; Ringing Room.
Jon Reed
From Phil Marshall of Bluntisham, Friday 20th March:
Very sadly, I have to let you know that Jon died at home, and unexpectedly, yesterday evening. Jon's home tower was St Mary's, Ely, and he rang regularly at several towers in the Huntingdon and Cambridge Districts, also in various quarter peal bands and with the University Guild. Our thoughts are with Naomi and the rest of his family at this very difficult time.
From Naomi Laredo, Monday 13th April
Naomi thanks ringing friends for their cards and messages of sympathy, which are a great comfort. The cause of Jon’s death has been confirmed as heart failure. The end was quick and he won’t have suffered.
Jon was buried at Barton Glebe woodland burial ground on Monday 20th April. The funeral was attended by close family only, but we shall celebrate his life at a later date.
If anyone wishes to make a donation to the British Heart Foundation in Jon’s memory, cheques payable to BHF may be sent to FW Cook, 49 Church St, Willingham, CB24 5HS.
Ely District ringing and Ely DA AGM update (17/03/2020)
In the light of yesterday's announcement by the Government - to avoid all non-essential travel and social contact - and the latest update from the CCCBR (see https://cccbr.org.uk/2020/03/16/coronavirus-covid-19-update/ ), the Ely District committee has decided to suspend all District ringing until further notice. This includes the District outing scheduled for 4th April, and the District striking competition scheduled for 2nd May. Philip Bailey is hoping to rearrange the outing to the same towers next year, and also suggests that we could look at holding the striking competition later in the year.
All sessions at the Stretham REC are also cancelled until further notice.
In addition, the General Committee of the Ely DA has agreed to postpone the 2020 AGM from the date of 30 May 2020 to a date later in the year when the peak of the Covid-19 epidemic has passed and more members will be able to attend. The intention is to transfer the AGM and striking competition to Saturday 3rd October, which is the date which was proposed for the Autumn Event, and to hold the AGM and Striking Competition in the Wisbech District at Downham Market as originally arranged, but these details are not fixed yet.
CCCBR advice on Coronavirus covid-19, 16/03/2020
See https://cccbr.org.uk/2020/03/16/coronavirus-covid-19-update/
Executive summary: new updates on the Coronavirus have been issued by the UK government today, which include avoiding any “non-essential” travel and contact with others and avoiding pubs, clubs theatres and social gatherings. If you haven’t already decided to cancel ringing activities, it seems that now is the time to do so.
David Gilbert
From Dee Smith, Burwell, 5th March 2020
It is with great regret that I have to tell you that David Gilbert , who was Tower Captain at Burwell for many years, has died. The funeral was held on Thursday 19th March at 2 pm at West Suffolk Crematorium.
Advertise your tower open day with the Ely DA banner
This 2.5 metre PVC banner is available for any tower that needs to advertise an open day or similar ringing-related event. The only proviso is that you hold it on a Saturday and have at least some of the attractions listed under the title, temporarily blanking out what is not on offer.
The banner is available to borrow, with the mobile demonstration bell and display stands. For more information, and to make a booking, see the Mobile Bell page on the Ely DA website.